Monster House in 3rd Ward

[dubone 597]

So, um, with land values fairly high uptown, there is pressure to do infill and increase the density and size of structures on that land. The problem I have here, however, is that they have used the design library of a standard exurban mcmansion, rather than something more tolerable uptown like townhouses.

It completely overshadows the very nice looking little home next to it.

Yuck.

[Miesian Corners 566]

Hideous. I'm not sure an uglier color of brick is available.

[monsoon 0]

I think Charlotte needs some kind of ordinance that limits height relative to lot size. Imagine the poor people in that house next to this thing.

[peaceloveunderstanding 0]

my, that's a bit out of place and one of the taller homes I've seen.

[dubone 597]

I think Charlotte needs some kind of ordinance that limits height relative to lot size. Imagine the poor people in that house next to this thing.

[monsoon 0]

The city should have the authority to impose limits on what can be built. There is a building height restriction in Davidson to keep this kind of thing from happening so it is possible.

[dubone 597]

How is it worded? Maybe we should push for that in Charlotte.

In this case, I think I've figured out what happened, and it is not cool. It looks like a Mr. Terry Dietsch from Iowa bought the land a year ago (but the tax site doesn't have the sale amount). Then, 6 months later, he sold half the parcel to the Carmona family and together they have built TWO monster homes on the same lot! I couldn't figure it out before, but it is actually two homes. The Carmona family bought their portion of the lot for $715,000 (likely with the house included in that price).

My gosh, they are just so awful looking. I wish they'd at least gotten a sober architect if they were going to build two massive houses on this tiny lot.

[monsoon 0]

How is it worded? Maybe we should push for that in Charlotte.

....

[atlrvr 912]

Charlotte really needs to consider form based zoning...it's getting about that time.

All older urban cities have it, and I believe Atlanta is shifting that way.

TOD and PED are pseudo-examples in Charlotte, but they need to over-haul the entire zoning ordinance.....it would prevent things like this.

[cinco 0]

gawd... that is something awful. i don't know why, but, i'm always a little shocked when someones got a ton of scratch ($) - and not a damn bit of taste or common sense. IMO, this is one of the most blatent acts of ignorance in residential building i've seen in awhile.... and what a big FU to your next door neighbor. i'm suprised that there isn't an ordinance violation somewhere with this POS.

ok.... i'm done.

[atlrvr 912]

Funny story to relate.....something similar happened in Myers Park about 10 years ago, and the residents found a zoning code violation in a McMansion (too close to the property line) and a court ordered the encroaching part eliminated. (the house was still under construction)

Well, the owner went ballistic, and apparantly rented a bulldozer and demolished a good bit of his house (much much more than the court required) in the middle of the night. There have been varying accounts on whether alcohol was involved, but none-the-less cost himself a couple hundred thousand dollars.

All that said, all zoning ordinances have a height limitation (except UMUD), though none consider the height of existing buildings in the calculation. TOD and PED consider adjacent zoning districts in determining maximum heights, but allow for base heights of 40'....again, this would never happen if form-based zoning existed in Charlotte.

[voyager12 1]

I just got back from a Holiday party and learned something new. I always thought the Historic District Protections in Plaza Midwood were more comprehensive and covered the entire older section like here in Dilworth. I was wrong. Only The Plaza and Thomas/Pecan behind it are under supervision The woman I spoke to lives off of Belvedere and "anything goes" over there. Why the designation was not extended makes no sense to me. I have noticed an increasing teardown craze along the great little sidestreets off Belvedere. Winter, Ashland, Chatam, Club,. Wonderful little bungalows are being replaced by horribly out of place Mcmansions. There is apparently a renewed effort by some concerned Plaza Midwood residents to increase the Historic District Overlay. I hope they succeed. Some Myers Park residents wanted to zone their neighborhood Historic a few years back and there was such a bitter fight the whole idea was dropped. Hermitage off of Providence came together as a block to petition the city to put restrictions in place and got it done. Better than nothing, but ideally to have a real fabric, the entire neighborhood needs to go in on it or it just looks disjointed, bizarre, and no one ends up happy.

[monsoon 0]

...I was wrong. Only The Plaza and Thomas/Pecan behind it are under supervision The woman I spoke to lives off of Belvedere and "anything goes" over there. Why the designation was not extended makes no sense to me. ...

[Conformity 13]

"i'm suprised that there isn't an ordinance violation somewhere with this POS."

I was too. So I checked.

Min. Lot size is 3000 SF. The one in the back is 3022. I checked the yards, FAR, height, lot dimensions, etc....they seem to have squeezed by on everything.

It so much easier to do something gastly if you can just get into building standards with a single family permit. Splitting the lot allowed them to do this. I don't think they would have succeeded with the "flagpole" platting trick if they were subject to subdivision review, but they are not due to an exemption. There are 3. One of them is: "less than 2 acres into no more than 3 lots that meet the minimum stds. for the district" or language similar to that.

I'll tell you what.....the fire department would freak (again...if they were subject to review....which they are not).

What a shame. Certainly, the code does not intend for this type of thing to be possible. Hopefully, the Karma bus will make a turn down their street.

[dubone 597]

Thank you for doing that research, Conformity. I had expected that they'd be within the letter of the law, despite the big FU to the spirit of the law.

Hopefully, someone on the city council or planning department will find this and figure out how to change to the rules to prevent this. Maybe the form-based zoning atlrvr referred to, or the stricter height rules of Davidson, at least in the central zone of the city.

Also, the Carmona family better have ten kids or something, because that much space, with a such a horribly designed home, is completely unconscionable for just two people.

I also wish there was a higher value premium on good design. It seems that real estate values are almost purely based on square footage.

[monsoon 0]

Also, the Carmona family better have ten kids or something, because that much space, with a such a horribly designed home, is completely unconscionable for just two people.

[A2 1]

I think an even worse house, is that garish house on Queens Road that we have talked about before. I got a good look at it the other day and it completely destroys the character of that road.

[hauntedheadnc 4]

What is it with this phobia of windows in modern construction? You have a house that big, with a handful of arrow slits for windows.

I've been in a house like that and it made me claustrophobic -- huge rooms with one dinky window in one wall. I don't see how anyone could live in a hellhole like that.

[revitalize 0]

I think an even worse house, is that garish house on Queens Road that we have talked about before. I got a good look at it the other day and it completely destroys the character of that road.

[JBGB 0]

This person must of just moved out of there 200sq ft. condo in Manhattain that coast 2.8million. Then thought "hey lets move to NC were we can build the biggest piece of c%@#" ever.

Why does the city allow this? Why? Look at Dilworth, Wilmore and around Freedom Park they are starting to ruin it with homes the size of office buildings. Do two people really need 6-8bedrooms and 5 bathrooms to feel comfortable? Do they not feel stupid when they walk out side and all the other homes are 850sq ft. and there's is 4,000 sq ft.?

[ChiefJoJo 0]

I think an even worse house, is that garish house on Queens Road

[monsoon 0]

The house that I am referring to is on the actual Queens Road. It really looks a lot more out of place than it does here in this photo. It dwarfs the mostly 1920s homes that line that road as it is as deep as it is wide. And aside from its size, an faux disney land castle plopped down in that neighborhood is completely out of character. My guess is this place probably exceeds 15,000 sq ft.

[SmellyCat 0]

I've heard it has an indoor pool.

[Focusmaster 0]

Queens Rd West? You mean that huge brick house on the left (travelling west from Providence)? If that's the same one, it's gotta be well over 10k sf.

[nowensone 126]

^ I wouldn't [personally] classify this as a McMansion, in fact I rather like this house, and it seems to fit it's lot, as least what part you can see from the pic. Also it has the appearance of age, even if it isn't old, and overall good exterior design.